The Holy Prophet-King David, Saint Joseph the Betrothed, and Saint James the Brother of the Lord are commemorated on the Sunday after the Nativity. If there is no Sunday between December 25 and January 1, their commemoration is moved to December 26. At an early date, some churches in the East began…
Saint Joseph the Betrothed was of the lineage of King David. He had four sons from his previous marriage: James, Judah, Joses, and Simon (or Symeon), and three daughters: Esther, Martha, and Salome, who was the mother of Saint John the Theologian. After he became a widower, Saint Joseph led a life…
The Holy Prophet-King David was a forefather of our Lord Jesus Christ according to the flesh. The youngest son of Jesse, David shepherded a flock of sheep belonging to his father. He was distinguished by his deep faith, and he zealously fulfilled the will of God. During a battle with the…
The Holy Apostle James, Brother of the Lord, was the eldest son of Joseph the Betrothed from his first marriage with Solomonia. The Apostle James is remembered after the Feast of the Nativity of Christ together with his father Joseph and the Prophet-King David, since he accompanied his family on…
Materials for the Leavetaking of the Nativity are taken from the service of the Feast day itself in the Menaion. The Scripture readings at Liturgy, however, are of the day, not of the Feast. The Prokeimenon, Alleluia verses, and Communion hymn are all of the Feast.
Saint Melania was born in Rome into a devout Christian family. Her parents, people of property and wealth, hoped that their daughter would marry and have children who would inherit their wealth. At fourteen years of age Melania was married to the illustrious youth Apinianus. From the very…
Saint Kyriakos of Bisericani is one of Romania’s greatest ascetics, and in his life he resembled the great Fathers of the Egyptian desert. He lived in Bisericani Monastery at the beginning of the XVII century, which then had more than a hundred monks. Longing for a life of solitude, Saint…
Although few people who honor the Saints are familiar with Saint Kyriakos (Chiriac) of Tazlău, his was a life of exceptional holiness. Believers from the surrounding area have maintained their respect for this chosen vessel, passing his name down from father to son. Saint Kyriakos was born into a…
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The nuns of Georgian monasteries have historically been outstanding in their diligence. God entrusted them with the special duties of ceaseless prayer, fasting, needlework, and the raising of orphans. Nuns have been regarded as vessels of sanctity and wisdom, and even royalty would kneel before…
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There is an Icon of the Mother of God with this name in Moscow, in the Dormition church of the Mogil'tsy. Another "Unfading Flower" Icon is in the third-class Ardatov women's monastery of the Protection, in the city of Ardatov, 50 versts from Arzamas. The Unfading Flower Icon shows the Mother of…